From Texana, the newsletter of Texas State Genealogical Society,
date unknown: "Mr. Walter Dossett Sr. of Waco sent in the following
letter that was printed in the Albany News, August 26, 1954"

Waco, Texas, Dec. 1, 1892

To Pat Cleburne Veterans of Waco, Texas

My Friends:

I am poorly qualified to write an essay for the public. Born on a
farm in Kentucky A. D. 1818, educated in a country school with very
limited facilities, I, of course can do but little in the character
of an essayist. I married young, came to Texas in 1853, settled in
Burnet, then a frontier country, 50 miles west of Austin. My husband
bought land; we had to live in a tent during the winter, but we soon
erected a log cabin and there husband and I, five children and two
servants, commenced our career in Texas.

By industry, hard work and great economy and self denial we in a
few brief though weary years, had a comfortable home with plenty
around us to make us happy and contented. In 1861 the dreadful war
between the states commenced. My husband went into the civil service
of the Confederate States where he served until the close of the war,
being much of the time absent from home and his family, in discharge
of his duty. My oldest son volunteered and went into the army, in
which re remained until the close of the war. My youngest sons were
engaged in taking care of our stock and in aiding a few men who were
left at home in guarding our homes from the depredations of savage
Indians and cruel Jayhawkers. In addition to these troubles, our
frontier country was afflicted with terrible droughts and myriads of
grasshopper. Thus our region of country was cursed with domestic war,
merciless Indians, thieving jayhawkers, protracted droughts, and last
but not least the grasshoppers were destroying our vegetables, our
corn and wheat, upon which we were mainly depending for life itself.
The few supplies of food and clothing we had at the commencement of
the war were soon exhausted. Our family was now increased to five
sons and two daughters. The question of food and raiment now
presented themselves to us in all their reality and ghastly
vividness. "What shall we do?" was the absorbing question with
everyone. Fortunately, we had plenty of cows in the country and from
this source we could get plenty of beef, milk and butter. We also had
sheep from whose fleeces we could make clothing. But to do this
required machinery, and this we did not have. But the men we had with
us soon began to make looms, wheels, cards, etc., to make cloth to
keep us from the cruel blasts of the cold north and the scorching
rays of the dry summer's sun. I was fortunate enough to get a few
dresses, buckskins to make clothes for my husband and our boys and
Negroes. I was also fortunate to be raised on a farm where my good
mother manufactured her own jeans, blankets, comforts, socks, etc.
for her own family of sons and servants and she had fortunately
taught me these same valuable lessons. So as soon as I could have a
loom, wheel and cards made, I procured some wool and cotton and went
to work in good earnest. It was not long before I had my wool carded
and spun into thread for my warp and filling, and my web of jeans
cloth ready for dyeing, cutting and making into garments for my men
folks.

My next work was to card and spin, weave, dye, cut and make my
linsey clothes for the women folks. Then came time for me to make my
thick warm flannel clothing for all the family. Then came time for
making quilts, comforts, sheets, bolsters and pillow cases, towels,
socks, stocking, etc.

Then we needed shoes, hats and bonnets. For shoes we had to
substitute buck skin moccasins. For hats we had to use dressed
rabbit, fox and wild cat skins and straw. For bonnets we used our old
dresses and straw. Our knitting of socks and stockings was done
principally at night, when we used tallow candles for light, made by
our own hands.

Many of our frontier people suffered for want of bread. Corn and
wheat crops failed on account of drought and grasshoppers and bread
could not be had for love nor money. Our diet was poor indeed, no
coffee, tea, no pepper, no spices, no salt, etc., but we made sorghum
molasses and used many miserable substitutes for the others.

When my husband donned his jeans suit made out and out by my
hands, and wore it to Austin to attend to his business in the
Confederate States district court, he said his suit was greatly
admired for it beauty and tailoring. Of course this was very
flattering to me, and I felt glad that I had been able to be of some
little use to my family. I also made a good warm suit for my oldest
son who was far from me fighting the battles for our loved Southland,
and oh, how glad I was to see my dear children at home warmly clad by
my poor effort to make them comfortable and happy. I was furthermore
glad that I was able to aid in furnishing some little to feed and
clothe some of the boys who were in the army with my son.

I wish to say to you brethren here and now, that all of our eight
children and poor servants who were taken from us, have always been
good, faithful and true to me as mother and mistress, and that I am
surrounded by my dear children and great-grandchildren and a host of
good friends, for which I feel thankful to my God.